MX23RW : Monday, December 30 20:07:15| >> :120:27559:27559:

Slaven Bilic: 'Keeping hold of Dimitri Payet a statement of intent'

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic believes that fending off interest for Dimitri Payet shows that the club no longer needs to sell its best players.

Slaven Bilic has claimed that keeping hold of star player Dimitri Payet shows that West Ham United mean business this coming season.

The France international was in high demand earlier this summer following a string of impressive displays at Euro 2016, coming after a stellar campaign for club side United.

Despite rumoured interest from Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, Payet remains a West Ham player heading into the new campaign, which Bilic believes is enough to prove the Hammers are no longer a selling club.

"In keeping Dimitri Payet we have shown the club is serious and trying to get to another level, as much or even more than with the new stadium," he told Sky Sports News.

"West Ham was always labelled as a club that has to sell its best players, be it Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand or whoever. But we have kept Dimi, and we have shown to everyone that the club is thinking seriously."

Payet scored 12 times for United in his debut campaign at Premier League level.

ID:278604: cacheID:278604:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2117:
Written by
Daniel Lewis
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Swansea player Andre Ayew in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea City and Newcastle United at the Liberty stadium on August 15, 2015
Read Next:
Sullivan "delighted" by Ayew arrival
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
3Arsenal18106235161936
4Chelsea18105338211735
5Manchester CityMan City199463226631
6Bournemouth198652923630
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle188553021929
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa188462629-328
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton186842726126
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford187383232024
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd186482124-322
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
19Ipswich TownIpswich1826101633-1712
20Southampton1913151239-276


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!